


Fleeting Things

by LadySeishou



Category: Hikaru no Go
Genre: Community: 31_days, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-08-15
Updated: 2005-08-15
Packaged: 2017-11-14 14:20:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/516124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadySeishou/pseuds/LadySeishou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ogata is haunted by his rival...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fleeting Things

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for the LiveJournal 31 Days community
> 
> Day/Theme: August 15 / Air and Stars

It was cold outside, the air clear and brittle and it was already dark. He thought briefly about going back in but instead found the cigarettes in his coat pocket and lit one, inhaling the warm smoke, watching the end flare brightly and then burn down. The lighter closed with a fitted snap and he let it fall from his hand into his pants pocket, wondering if he could find a place nearby that sold decent sake.

He needed to drink.

It was the only way he knew how to make the ghost leave him alone.

“I have your title now, Old Man,” he said to the night sky, full of white stars. The ghost continued to murmur in his ear like dry leaves in the wind. He threw the cigarette down on the sidewalk and crushed it under his foot. Even this little pleasure had become less somehow. 

A taxi pulled up in front of the hotel and he walked toward it, watching the passenger door open wide. He smiled without humor at the surprised face that stared up at him as he caught hold of the door. 

It was Shindou.

“Ogata-san?”

“Aren’t you going to be late Shindou?” 

Shindou pushed passed him and handed the driver his fee. “Are you drunk Ogata-san?”

The kid was still rude and impertinent to be sure. He and the old man were a lot alike in that. He ignored the question and closed the taxi door, waving it away and asked his own. “Sightseeing Shindou? You must be pretty confident to leave it to the last minute.”

“I’m not late and it was the only free time I had to go.”

Ogata considered lighting another cigarette, to give his hands something to do. He turned away to watch the red taillights of the taxi disappear in the distance. “Oh? Go where?” But he already knew of course.

“Kuwabara-sensei’s grave.”

The ghost cackled, grey gravel shifting underfoot. 

“I’m sure your thoughtfulness was appreciated Shindou,” he answered dryly, pricked by the irony of the situation. 

He really needed a drink.

“Yeah, well maybe.” The younger pro looked at his watch. “Are you going to be okay, Ogata-san?”

“Your concern is touching, Shindou but unnecessary.” He noticed then that Shindou’s attention was focused on something beyond the doors behind him. “Go on Shindou. I’m sure that Akira is waiting for you,” he said, turning enough to glance over his shoulder. But it was not Akira that stood just inside the hotel watching them. 

“Damn you.” The old geezer was smiling, both eyes open and milky white, staring back at him, reflections like twin moons in the glass. “Leave me alone.”

Shindou shifted from foot to foot, his unease telling and embarrassing. “Ashiwara-san is just worried about you Ogata-san. I know that Touya is too.” 

Ashiwara stepped out through the door, the ghost sliding away. The young man smiled and raised his hand in greeting. Ogata frowned back, finding his gentle smile grating and gratuitous and turned away. He needed to get drunk. Now.

Shindou’s hand on his arm stopped him momentarily. The presumption of the brat was irritating. “Let go.”

Shindou dropped his hand and stared at his feet, clearly uncomfortable. “You know that they’re never really gone, Ogata-san.”

“What?”

“Kuwabara-sensei. You can always find him in your Go.”

Ogata laughed then, bitter and defeated. The old man was right to bet on the kid all those years ago. He turned away from the boy and walked away into the darkness. 

*

owari


End file.
